HS teacher not grading papers for two straight semesters. Does FCPS have a policy on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on the teacher comments above about what’s changed, schools either need to drop open enrollment and the endless re-do’s OR they need to budget for a FTE. Grader for the class level. This could be for all English 9 at a school for instance so not a 1 to 1 with each teacher.

I am in full support. How do we make this happen??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From FCPS’ own website —> https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary/grading-assignments-and-assessments


Quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, homework, or papers are evaluated and/or graded, returned, and reviewed promptly with the student. Teachers are expected to grade each assignment and post grade to the electronic gradebook within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback. If more time is required to provide feedback, teachers will communicate notify students in advance of the project due date.

And this would be completely reasonable if they gave us at least some of the time needed to do this, without taking all our planning time away, not to mention requiring hours of extra work outside of work hours for b.s. duties and training that they keep adding on because people at Gatehouse need to justify their jobs by adding on initiatives and reporting requirements, and policies that let students off the hook and put the onus on teachers to somehow compensate for what students should do but are failing to do.

Don't do the other work. Do the grading. Tell them the truth: Because it directly and immediately supports kids. Dare them to fire you. They won't.

Stop acting like you care about teachers you don't...you care about your kids and thats fine.... but please stop acting like you care about teachers and what they go through-these are not solutions this is entitled parents trying to get what they want.

If I need to choose between supporting my kid and teachers, guess who I'm picking? Because in this case, it seems to be an either/or scenario.

No one is winning....thats the thing. It's just back and forth. Everyone is losing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From FCPS’ own website —> https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary/grading-assignments-and-assessments


Quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, homework, or papers are evaluated and/or graded, returned, and reviewed promptly with the student. Teachers are expected to grade each assignment and post grade to the electronic gradebook within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback. If more time is required to provide feedback, teachers will communicate notify students in advance of the project due date.

And this would be completely reasonable if they gave us at least some of the time needed to do this, without taking all our planning time away, not to mention requiring hours of extra work outside of work hours for b.s. duties and training that they keep adding on because people at Gatehouse need to justify their jobs by adding on initiatives and reporting requirements, and policies that let students off the hook and put the onus on teachers to somehow compensate for what students should do but are failing to do.

Don't do the other work. Do the grading. Tell them the truth: Because it directly and immediately supports kids. Dare them to fire you. They won't.

Stop acting like you care about teachers you don't...you care about your kids and thats fine.... but please stop acting like you care about teachers and what they go through-these are not solutions this is entitled parents trying to get what they want.

If I need to choose between supporting my kid and teachers, guess who I'm picking? Because in this case, it seems to be an either/or scenario.

And why is that? Can’t we give teachers a more reasonable workload, which would mean they don’t have to give up their own health and time with their own families? Then they would have the time to focus on your child. Why do you feel you need to pick? Can’t everyone win?

-up at 4:30 to grade

I can’t give teachers a more reasonable workload. I am a parent. And if I have to choose between supporting my kid and a teacher, I’m choosing my
Kid.

Also, you’re on dcurbanmom at 4:30, not grading.

Pick your kid the teacher is picking their family and refusing to work 70 hour weeks. See how that works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From FCPS’ own website —> https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary/grading-assignments-and-assessments


Quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, homework, or papers are evaluated and/or graded, returned, and reviewed promptly with the student. Teachers are expected to grade each assignment and post grade to the electronic gradebook within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback. If more time is required to provide feedback, teachers will communicate notify students in advance of the project due date.

And this would be completely reasonable if they gave us at least some of the time needed to do this, without taking all our planning time away, not to mention requiring hours of extra work outside of work hours for b.s. duties and training that they keep adding on because people at Gatehouse need to justify their jobs by adding on initiatives and reporting requirements, and policies that let students off the hook and put the onus on teachers to somehow compensate for what students should do but are failing to do.

Don't do the other work. Do the grading. Tell them the truth: Because it directly and immediately supports kids. Dare them to fire you. They won't.

Stop acting like you care about teachers you don't...you care about your kids and thats fine.... but please stop acting like you care about teachers and what they go through-these are not solutions this is entitled parents trying to get what they want.

If I need to choose between supporting my kid and teachers, guess who I'm picking? Because in this case, it seems to be an either/or scenario.

And why is that? Can’t we give teachers a more reasonable workload, which would mean they don’t have to give up their own health and time with their own families? Then they would have the time to focus on your child. Why do you feel you need to pick? Can’t everyone win?

-up at 4:30 to grade

I can’t give teachers a more reasonable workload. I am a parent. And if I have to choose between supporting my kid and a teacher, I’m choosing my
Kid.

Also, you’re on dcurbanmom at 4:30, not grading.

Well, keep being selfish. Cool. Enjoy your kids’ cadre of rotating, unqualified subs who won’t be giving you the “feedback” you crave, I damn well assure you.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From FCPS’ own website —> https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary/grading-assignments-and-assessments


Quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, homework, or papers are evaluated and/or graded, returned, and reviewed promptly with the student. Teachers are expected to grade each assignment and post grade to the electronic gradebook within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback. If more time is required to provide feedback, teachers will communicate notify students in advance of the project due date.

And this would be completely reasonable if they gave us at least some of the time needed to do this, without taking all our planning time away, not to mention requiring hours of extra work outside of work hours for b.s. duties and training that they keep adding on because people at Gatehouse need to justify their jobs by adding on initiatives and reporting requirements, and policies that let students off the hook and put the onus on teachers to somehow compensate for what students should do but are failing to do.

Don't do the other work. Do the grading. Tell them the truth: Because it directly and immediately supports kids. Dare them to fire you. They won't.

Stop acting like you care about teachers you don't...you care about your kids and thats fine.... but please stop acting like you care about teachers and what they go through-these are not solutions this is entitled parents trying to get what they want.

If I need to choose between supporting my kid and teachers, guess who I'm picking? Because in this case, it seems to be an either/or scenario.

And why is that? Can’t we give teachers a more reasonable workload, which would mean they don’t have to give up their own health and time with their own families? Then they would have the time to focus on your child. Why do you feel you need to pick? Can’t everyone win?

-up at 4:30 to grade

I can’t give teachers a more reasonable workload. I am a parent. And if I have to choose between supporting my kid and a teacher, I’m choosing my
Kid.

Also, you’re on dcurbanmom at 4:30, not grading.

You could be supportive instead of combative. That’s another choice you could make.

- it is perfectly acceptable for me to take a break from grading on my own time.

Combative (NP here)? Please read your own posts and those of some of the other teachers before you start hurling that label at parents.

If trying to highlight the demands of this job is considered “combative,” then there is no conversation to be had here. I did reread my posts. I haven’t complained, nor have I been combative.

It isn’t right that teachers present material for 33-35 hours a week, leaving 30 hours of background work to be done in our own time. No, it isn’t right.

We could all work together to change the profession, or we can get combative. One poster suggested I’m not doing my job since I struggle to get papers home. One stack of essays takes me over 30 hours. I try to get those back within 10 days, but I still have to teach, plan lessons, answer emails, grade other assignments, attend parent meetings, etc.

A parent can say, “we understand that it may take 10 days to do 30 hours of extra grading” or you can say “you aren’t doing your job.” It seems many posters would prefer #2.

Perhaps now I’m getting combative.

I cannot change the profession. I have no way to do that. And before you continue to say "we can work together", lots of us have been: getting tutoring to fill the gap, teaching things ourselves where we can, not complaining to teacher or principal immediately (or in our case at all) when not getting 100% what we want. And let's be frank, advocating for our kid to get the full education that they are supposed to get is also not combative. . .

You're saying 10 days to do grading. Some are saying they don't do it at all, or don't provide the necessary feedback at all. There's a difference in those two spectrums.

Answer this do you think teachers should work 70 hours and sacrifice their lives??. You people on DC mum are always preaching teachers shouldn't be martyrs well we listened!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on the teacher comments above about what’s changed, schools either need to drop open enrollment and the endless re-do’s OR they need to budget for a FTE. Grader for the class level. This could be for all English 9 at a school for instance so not a 1 to 1 with each teacher.

I am in full support. How do we make this happen??

NP: Some ideas:

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/leadership-team

Sloan Presidio and Noel Klimenco are good people to contact. So are your school board members and your region superintendent. Request minimum standards and baseline test scores/grades to enroll in classes. Ask for money to be spent on smaller classes vs. academic coaches and central office administrators.

You will not win the retake battle. I wish you could, but I don't even think it's worth trying. (I will silently cheer you on if you want to try though). They (educational "gurus", academics, public speakers, authors, central office folks) are pushing hard to go the other direction, unlimited retakes for everything up to 100 vs. the current 1 retake up to 80/83/85/whatever, no timeline, etc) What you can do is beg not to go to standards based grading which is going to be a complete nightmare for teachers to implement. It will require a full restructuring of the curriculum and assessments and will basically double the planning workload for a year and the grading workload forever going forward.

Thank you for any communication you initiate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AP teacher.

Those free response questions are the death of me. They take 3-4 minutes each to grade, our tests have two each, so 7 minutes per kid x87 kids = 10 hrs of grading for one test. I have fantasized about not grading them…but I just suck it up and devote one Sunday every 2-3 weeks to nothing but free response grading.

Next year I am going to try to be more strategic and have the kids “pre grade” it themselves using the rubric. Is the teacher showing them what the rubric for the short answer questions looks like? Are they going over what a solid answer looks like and picking apart examples of weaker ones? Are they writing a sample solution as a class after they write individual ones? Are they told what year the question was from so they can look up the rubric in college board’s website?

I think all of these are ways to give feedback without grades. If none of that is happening, then I’d be frustrated and would have my kid reach out to the teacher (cc you on the email for accountability) and ask how to get feedback on the written part. If no answer, then go to the administrator in charge of that department and ask how your child can get feedback on their written portions. That’s the more important piece than the grade, IMO. They are having graded assignments (the gradebook isn’t blank! No surprise entries at the end of the quarter) but your child needs guidance to pass the AP test.

I'm sympathetic, as I used to teach writing, but you have to be joking for the bolded. Those rubrics re idiotic and subjective, for one. But also, it is YOUR job to grade and provide the feedback. I don't know the answer here to help you get that done but it is not the kids doing it for you.

-1 Not a teacher, but I think kids assessing their own work is an important skill to build. It's not like the teacher was saying she's not going to do any grading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spent a few hours this past weekend grading labs for a HS science honors class. Returned them to students today. Most immediately threw them in the recycling bin. They only care about the grade and don't even read my comments. Super motivating to spend all that time for the handful that care.

But you graded them. That's all OP is asking for.

You do see why a teacher would be frustrated, correct? If I spend 20+ hours of my OWN time away from my family grading essays, it actually hurts to see students toss my hard work into the trash. You can clearly see why a teacher would figure it isn’t worth the trouble.

I combat this by forcing my students to read my comments, fill out reflections, and then submit a revised copy. Guess what? I then have to grade THOSE! So now one essay can represent 40+ hours of extra work for me. I’m still teaching all my classes, grading all my other assignments, attending all my meetings, responding to all my emails, writing all my student recommendations, etc.

I received an email last week from a parent wondering why I didn’t get an essay back after 6 days. Because I need to sleep? Because I’d like to sit down with my family for dinner a couple times a week? Because that was one essay out of 120?

I am a mother, a daughter, a member of a community group. Occasionally, I like to put down the stack of papers and take care of my family and ME.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on the teacher comments above about what’s changed, schools either need to drop open enrollment and the endless re-do’s OR they need to budget for a FTE. Grader for the class level. This could be for all English 9 at a school for instance so not a 1 to 1 with each teacher.

I am in full support. How do we make this happen??

NP: Some ideas:

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/leadership-team

Sloan Presidio and Noel Klimenco are good people to contact. So are your school board members and your region superintendent. Request minimum standards and baseline test scores/grades to enroll in classes. Ask for money to be spent on smaller classes vs. academic coaches and central office administrators.

You will not win the retake battle. I wish you could, but I don't even think it's worth trying. (I will silently cheer you on if you want to try though). They (educational "gurus", academics, public speakers, authors, central office folks) are pushing hard to go the other direction, unlimited retakes for everything up to 100 vs. the current 1 retake up to 80/83/85/whatever, no timeline, etc) What you can do is beg not to go to standards based grading which is going to be a complete nightmare for teachers to implement. It will require a full restructuring of the curriculum and assessments and will basically double the planning workload for a year and the grading workload forever going forward.

Thank you for any communication you initiate.

DP. Speaking of standards-based grading, do you think they're going to force us to do that starting next year? They've rammed so many new and shiny and useless and time-hogging initiatives down our throats this year that it feels like that one is a nice shiny bomb they might be saving for next year. I'm so close to quitting that knowing that's coming would be a good nudge. There's just no way I could take a year of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spent a few hours this past weekend grading labs for a HS science honors class. Returned them to students today. Most immediately threw them in the recycling bin. They only care about the grade and don't even read my comments. Super motivating to spend all that time for the handful that care.

But you graded them. That's all OP is asking for.

NP. Actually, the OP was saying her student hadn't received feedback that would help him get ready for the AP Test. And the PP is saying they don't even pay attention to the feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Based on the teacher comments above about what’s changed, schools either need to drop open enrollment and the endless re-do’s OR they need to budget for a FTE. Grader for the class level. This could be for all English 9 at a school for instance so not a 1 to 1 with each teacher.

I am in full support. How do we make this happen??

NP: Some ideas:

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/leadership-team

Sloan Presidio and Noel Klimenco are good people to contact. So are your school board members and your region superintendent. Request minimum standards and baseline test scores/grades to enroll in classes. Ask for money to be spent on smaller classes vs. academic coaches and central office administrators.

You will not win the retake battle. I wish you could, but I don't even think it's worth trying. (I will silently cheer you on if you want to try though). They (educational "gurus", academics, public speakers, authors, central office folks) are pushing hard to go the other direction, unlimited retakes for everything up to 100 vs. the current 1 retake up to 80/83/85/whatever, no timeline, etc) What you can do is beg not to go to standards based grading which is going to be a complete nightmare for teachers to implement. It will require a full restructuring of the curriculum and assessments and will basically double the planning workload for a year and the grading workload forever going forward.

Thank you for any communication you initiate.

DP. Speaking of standards-based grading, do you think they're going to force us to do that starting next year? They've rammed so many new and shiny and useless and time-hogging initiatives down our throats this year that it feels like that one is a nice shiny bomb they might be saving for next year. I'm so close to quitting that knowing that's coming would be a good nudge. There's just no way I could take a year of that.

I don’t know. That’s going to be my final straw too. I think probably fall 2024. I give us another year where all our PD will be about the benefits of it (hah) and guiding us to restructure a single unit this way in preparation for fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From FCPS’ own website —> https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary/grading-assignments-and-assessments


Quizzes, tests, examinations, essays, homework, or papers are evaluated and/or graded, returned, and reviewed promptly with the student. Teachers are expected to grade each assignment and post grade to the electronic gradebook within seven school days after the due date with the understanding that major projects/papers may require additional time to ensure quality feedback. If more time is required to provide feedback, teachers will communicate notify students in advance of the project due date.

And this would be completely reasonable if they gave us at least some of the time needed to do this, without taking all our planning time away, not to mention requiring hours of extra work outside of work hours for b.s. duties and training that they keep adding on because people at Gatehouse need to justify their jobs by adding on initiatives and reporting requirements, and policies that let students off the hook and put the onus on teachers to somehow compensate for what students should do but are failing to do.

Don't do the other work. Do the grading. Tell them the truth: Because it directly and immediately supports kids. Dare them to fire you. They won't.

Stop acting like you care about teachers you don't...you care about your kids and thats fine.... but please stop acting like you care about teachers and what they go through-these are not solutions this is entitled parents trying to get what they want.

If I need to choose between supporting my kid and teachers, guess who I'm picking? Because in this case, it seems to be an either/or scenario.

And why is that? Can’t we give teachers a more reasonable workload, which would mean they don’t have to give up their own health and time with their own families? Then they would have the time to focus on your child. Why do you feel you need to pick? Can’t everyone win?

-up at 4:30 to grade

I can’t give teachers a more reasonable workload. I am a parent. And if I have to choose between supporting my kid and a teacher, I’m choosing my
Kid.

Also, you’re on dcurbanmom at 4:30, not grading.

Well, keep being selfish. Cool. Enjoy your kids’ cadre of rotating, unqualified subs who won’t be giving you the “feedback” you crave, I damn well assure you.

Look, we can get tutoring to fill the gaps you're leaving. Not everyone can. So your actions (failing to do your full job), in the end, won't hurt my kid. But, they are for those who aren't as lucky.

They’re not “my actions.” I’m not a teacher. You are speaking to multiple people here.

Your nasty, entitled attitude is disgusting and is doing your kids no favors. You don’t care. We know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not grading for 2 quarters would get a visit with the principal. End of story. And the principal at our school would listen.
Sorry/not sorry.

Are you 12?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AP teacher.

Those free response questions are the death of me. They take 3-4 minutes each to grade, our tests have two each, so 7 minutes per kid x87 kids = 10 hrs of grading for one test. I have fantasized about not grading them…but I just suck it up and devote one Sunday every 2-3 weeks to nothing but free response grading.

Next year I am going to try to be more strategic and have the kids “pre grade” it themselves using the rubric. Is the teacher showing them what the rubric for the short answer questions looks like? Are they going over what a solid answer looks like and picking apart examples of weaker ones? Are they writing a sample solution as a class after they write individual ones? Are they told what year the question was from so they can look up the rubric in college board’s website?

I think all of these are ways to give feedback without grades. If none of that is happening, then I’d be frustrated and would have my kid reach out to the teacher (cc you on the email for accountability) and ask how to get feedback on the written part. If no answer, then go to the administrator in charge of that department and ask how your child can get feedback on their written portions. That’s the more important piece than the grade, IMO. They are having graded assignments (the gradebook isn’t blank! No surprise entries at the end of the quarter) but your child needs guidance to pass the AP test.

AP has been around for a long time. I don't understand why teachers don't have time anymore. Has the class changed?

In addition, the catholic school my kid went to graded morning work. You know that five minute work that kids do when they enter the school? Regularly my kid got over 10 grades a day.

[Anonymous]

Do you have more classes now than years ago? More kids? I am not understanding why I went through FCPS and got grades back within a week for short answer assignments and maybe 3 weeks if it was a large project and nowadays it's asking for the moon. I remember government had three long essays a week every Monday that we got back by Friday to prepare for the next Monday test.